Barking! Blackpool school's ingenius way of making sure youngsters turn up on time

Youngsters at Revoe Learning Academy, in Grasmere Road, who arrive on time every day will have their name put into a hat, with teachers selecting one name each Friday afternoon.

Then, therapy pup Poppy will walk into assembly with a golden ticket in her mouth, before presenting it to the lucky winner, while Gold by the 80s pop group plays in the background.

Parents were told about the quirky scheme in a letter sent home by deputy headteacher Steph Swinson, while posters have gone up in the corridors at the school.

Mrs Swinson said: “We noticed that, for a small group of children, punctuality could be better.

“We are giving away free passes to the Ascent Trampoline Park for 10 weeks, but we will be carrying on with something else after.”

In her letter home, Mrs Swinson warned parents that arriving late can ‘significantly reduce achievement, regardless of academic
ability’.

She added: “Your child may also feel awkward arriving in the classroom when everyone else is settled.

“Furthermore, when one pupil arrives later, it disrupts the learning, which affects the rest of the class.”

Revoe was taken out of special measures by Ofsted in 2016, when the education watchdog said the school was back on track.

But it said there was still room for improvement, with punctuality one of the areas identified following a visit by inspectors.